Officials say safety checks have stemmed tragedies on Lake Conroe

By Jose R. Gonzalez, Staff writer

Updated
10:25 am CDT, Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Brandon Bangerter, of The Woodlands, gets a safety check tag from Wesley McGee, with Precinct 1 Montgomery County Constable’s Office, checks safety equipment before a group of boaters enjoy an afternoon on Lake Conroe, Friday, July 5, 2019, in Conroe.

Brandon Bangerter, of The Woodlands, gets a safety check tag from Wesley McGee, with Precinct 1 Montgomery County Constable’s Office, checks safety equipment before a group of boaters enjoy an afternoon on

Brandon Bangerter, of The Woodlands, gets a safety check tag from Wesley McGee, with Precinct 1 Montgomery County Constable’s Office, checks safety equipment before a group of boaters enjoy an afternoon on Lake Conroe, Friday, July 5, 2019, in Conroe.

Brandon Bangerter, of The Woodlands, gets a safety check tag from Wesley McGee, with Precinct 1 Montgomery County Constable’s Office, checks safety equipment before a group of boaters enjoy an afternoon on

By most accounts, the water on Lake Conroe has been unusually tranquil this summer. For Lt. Tim Cade, who heads up Precinct 1 Constable’s Office’s marine division, this is the safest summer in memory for the popular lake.

“This is one of the best years I’ve seen so far,” Cade said. “This is absolutely one of the safer years so far.”

In fact, Cade said he cannot remember a previous year where by Fourth of July there was only one fatality. The holiday weekend saw no boating accidents.

The personal flotation device is among the items required by Texas state law for all boaters on the water. As a courtesy, Precinct 1 constable’s deputies Thursday through Saturday were out doing voluntary safety checks on vessels before boaters hit the water — a total of 275.

Their primary function in doing these voluntary safety checks is to help the boaters, Cade explained, adding they are not seeking to ticket people since they are not on the water.

The other check-mark items deputies are looking for are a fire extinguisher, a horn or sound-producing device and a throwable personal flotation device. The fifth required item is the vessel registration card, which Cade encourages boaters take a photo of on their phone with the hull identification number visible.

Boaters short on safety equipment can go to just about any goods shop surrounding the lake as stores there stock up on required equipment, Cade said.

The voluntary checks he said, educate or remind boaters of the need for being prepared. As a result, there are less violations on the water. This is the third year Precinct 1 has done the volunteer safety checks after Constable Philip Cash introduced the practice.

The effort has “been genius. It has worked,” Cade said.

Still, summer has a little more than 50 days to go before Labor Day and Cade hesitates to boast. He remains cautious about discussing the lack of major emergencies on the water this year.

“When things are going really good, you need to get tight-lipped or you’re just gonna jinx yourself,” he said.